Stepping into Brooklyn Blooms feels like entering LaParis Phillips’ colorful imagination. The magical floral boutique represents more than just beautiful flowers—it embodies entrepreneurial dreams realized. Phillips founded this charming business in 2017, transforming a weekend side hustle into two thriving Brooklyn locations.
The boutique experience goes far beyond traditional flower shops. “The flower selection is very curated here,” Phillips explains. “Let us create something beautiful for you.” Her artistic vision has created a space that’s intentional, joyful, and uniquely beautiful.
From Fashion Dreams to Floral Artistry in New York City
Phillips originally moved to New York City in 2010 from St. Louis, Missouri. She came with fashion industry aspirations but discovered her true passion lay elsewhere. “Fashion was just not working for me,” she admits candidly.
Creative fulfillment remained elusive in her fashion career. However, flowers provided the artistic outlet she desperately needed. “I missed working with flowers and being creative, because I wasn’t able to be creative in fashion,” Phillips shares. “Flowers gave me that space to express myself artistically, how I wanted to.”
The transition wasn’t immediate but became increasingly clear over time. Phillips recognized that her creative spirit needed a different channel. Flowers offered the perfect medium for her artistic expression and entrepreneurial ambitions.
Building Foundation Through Family Legacy and Weekend Work
Phillips didn’t enter floristry without preparation. She grew up surrounded by her family’s flower shop, gaining invaluable early exposure. This foundation provided both practical skills and entrepreneurial inspiration that would prove essential later.
During her fashion career, Phillips maintained her floral connections through strategic side work. She worked in fashion during weekdays and spent Saturdays at a flower shop. “I always did flowers on the side, because you can’t be a one-trick pony coming to New York,” she explains.
This dual approach allowed Phillips to build skills while maintaining financial stability. The weekend work kept her connected to her passion. Meanwhile, it provided practical experience that would become crucial for her future business.
Creating the Brooklyn Blooms Brand and Boutique Experience
The business name emerged from Phillips’ creative imagination and strategic thinking. She began envisioning her own floral business while still working elsewhere. “I was like, man, if I had a flower shop or a flower business—whether it be a studio or a retail shop—what would it be called, just for fun?”
Brooklyn Blooms felt perfect from the moment she conceived it. “Brooklyn Blooms—it’s a sentence, it’s a statement, it just rolls off the tongue,” Phillips recalls. The name captured both location and action, suggesting growth and beauty simultaneously.
Today, that playful brainstorming session has become reality. Phillips operates two locations just blocks apart in Brooklyn’s Bed-Stuy neighborhood. “I like to think of Brooklyn Blooms as more of a boutique,” she emphasizes. “We go to the flower market and we’re handpicking everything.”
Inspiring Black Youth Through Visible Entrepreneurial Success
Phillips recognizes her role extends beyond selling flowers. She aims to inspire the next generation through visible success as a Black entrepreneur. “You don’t really see a lot of young Black kids going into floristry at all,” she observes.
Her presence in the industry serves as powerful representation. Phillips hopes young people see her success as proof of possibility. “I hope they see me as an example,” she states with clear intention.
The visibility aspect drives much of her motivation. Phillips understands that seeing successful Black business owners can inspire others. Her boutiques serve as daily reminders that entrepreneurial dreams are achievable.
Supporting Black Community Through Local Business Investment
Economic empowerment remains central to Phillips’ mission and values. She believes strongly in the importance of community-focused business development. “Black business, Black community is crucial and key,” Phillips declares.
Independent businesses like Brooklyn Blooms play vital roles in community economic health. Phillips emphasizes keeping “money circulating within our community, from each other, through our own sources and venues.” This approach strengthens neighborhood economic foundations.
Her commitment goes beyond personal success to community impact. Phillips views her business as contributing to broader Black economic empowerment. Each purchase and partnership supports this larger mission of community development.
Expansion Plans and Future Vision for Floral Empire
Phillips’ ambitions extend well beyond her current Brooklyn locations. She envisions a multi-city floral empire with strategic expansion plans. “I want a store in Manhattan, I want a store in Chicago, I want a store in Los Angeles,” she shares enthusiastically.
The expansion vision includes any location “where I can have a flower shop that’s gonna welcome Brooklyn Blooms.” This growth strategy would spread her unique boutique concept to major markets nationwide.
Current success fuels these ambitious future plans. “So that’s what drives me—is the success of the business to this point, and where can I take it?” Phillips asks. Her determination and proven track record suggest these expansion dreams will likely become reality.
